Daniel Smith is a Manufacturing Engineer at Tuscaloosa-based Align Precision, who shared with us how he is using our CAM Assist solution.

• Who are you and where are you based?

We’re a precision manufacturing business based in Alabama, specializing in high-quality CNC machining and production support for demanding aerospace and defense applications.

• Who are your customers, and what do you make for them?
  

We work with customers across aerospace and defense, producing precision-engineered components that require accuracy, repeatability, and fast turnaround. Our customers rely on us for both prototyping and production-ready parts.

• What challenges do you have in your business today?
  

Like many manufacturers, we’re focused on increasing efficiency while maintaining quality. Programming time, knowledge transfer, and keeping up with growing demand are ongoing challenges - especially as skilled CAM programmers become harder to find.

• When did you start using CAM Assist?

We started using CAM Assist in 2024 initially as a beta tester, then committed in 2025 with a primary goal to speed up programming and support our quoting process.

• How do you use it? How does CAM Assist help you, and how does it fit into your workflow?
  

CAM Assist is integrated directly into our CAM workflow. We use it to generate and validate machining strategies, reduce repetitive programming tasks, and quickly explore optimal approaches. It acts as a second set of expert eyes, helping us work faster and with more confidence.

• What difference has CAM Assist made to your business? What are the benefits to you?

‍CAM Assist has significantly reduced programming time and helped standardize best practices across our team. We’re able to turn jobs around faster, onboard new programmers more easily, and spend more time optimizing processes rather than starting from scratch. In many cases, we’ve cut CAM programming time by several hours and quoting accuracy and speed has increased tremendously.

• Has CAM Assist saved you money?
  

Yes - the time savings alone mean CAM Assist has effectively paid for itself. Reduced programming hours, fewer errors, and improved machine utilization have delivered a clear return on investment.

• What is the impact of you using CAM Assist for your customers?
  

Our customers benefit from faster lead times, more consistent quality, and greater confidence that parts will be right-first-time. CAM Assist helps us deliver reliable results even on complex or tight-deadline jobs.

• How do you plan to use CAM Assist in the future?
  

We plan to expand its use across more machines and workflows, and to rely on it even more as a core productivity tool as our business grows.

• What do you think the impact of CAM Assist will be on manufacturing?
  

CAM Assist has the potential to fundamentally change how CAM programming is done -  making advanced manufacturing knowledge more accessible, reducing bottlenecks, and helping shops stay competitive despite skills shortages.

• Anything that’s important that the above doesn’t cover?

‍One of the biggest advantages is confidence - CAM Assist gives our team reassurance that they’re making accurate decisions, even on complex jobs.